How to make great maps:Try and at least make it that most initiators (buttons, lasers etc.) either have clear indicator lights to their target, or that you force the player to be looking in the right direction as they press a button. Pressing a button in one chamber, only for it to do something tiny four chambers away is very frustrating

It took me ages to solve it, and I still don't know what half the buttons do. You also used laser relays when you should have used laser catchers, meaning that I spent half an hour wondering why I'm going nowhere and it's because a gnat coughed within five yards of a reflection cube.

Here's a first effort (in the portal editor, long time hammer user here.)A disclaimer: it's large...really large, and I pretty much maxed out the editor. If you have any criticism it's welcome of course, but I probably wont change anything on this map, just keep it in mind for my next (smaller) one. I've done lots of testing and played whack-a-mole with disappearing connectors between buttons and objects (the blue lines just disappear, and the map compiles only when it feels like it because its so large) so its become a bit frustrating to work on.

Diligent:Here's a first effort (in the portal editor, long time hammer user here.)A disclaimer: it's large...really large, and I pretty much maxed out the editor. If you have any criticism it's welcome of course, but I probably wont change anything on this map, just keep it in mind for my next (smaller) one. I've done lots of testing and played whack-a-mole with disappearing connectors between buttons and objects (the blue lines just disappear, and the map compiles only when it feels like it because its so large) so its become a bit frustrating to work on.

I made a new map, simply named "The Pit". My current guess as for the difficulty is that it's a 5/5 map, as it's fairly lengthy and it requires one mandatory advanced portalling technique combined with several quick-reflex puzzles. This one was a lot of fun making, though. =D

Also, I've checked and I believe it's impossible to get stuck in the map. However, if someone does find an inescapable situation, please tell me ASAP so I can fix the puzzle ASAP.

After finishing my "The Pit" map, I decided to attempt to create an easier and simpler test chamber, which resulted in The Broken Button. My difficulty estimate is a 3/5, mostly for the final section being tricky to perform.

Your map must not rely on cheats, exploits or glitches in the game system.

Your map must be solvable within the allotted three hours.

Your map must have a solution.

The map creator must fix any flaws found in design in order to pass inspection if a flaw is found.

All steps must be functional and be reasonable.

Look there's a difference between "Hard" and "completely impossible unless you are the designer". No more convoluted over-complicated test chambers. I am done spending my entire day on one map because the solution is not evident...I'm being forced to change the rules and require maps to be completed by at least one player other than the designer without the designer's help.

So...I finished making another map. It's completable, but I have no idea of what difficulty level it is. I would say it's 3/5 or 4/5, but I can easily misjudge the difficulties of my own test chambers. The map is called "Lake".

Alright new rule. If I can't figure your map out, automatic 5. I just spent the last two hours completely lost in one of Deckard Cain's maps. Bro, I gotta say...you are the master of messing with my head. Also "Oh Uncle Deckaaaard!"

Once I finish fixing Four-Leaf Clover for the umpteen Bazillionth time I will get back and finish the last tests.

Kind of getting sick of 5s, guys....can we make easier stuff??

EDIT: Almost through the backlog. Finally can go finish my last map and release that so all you guys n gals can find the less-than-five-portals trick in each map. No srsly, it's possible to finish every room in under 5 portals...no hints.

So I've made another two test chambers, one that's a bit large and another one that I think I expertly crafted.

The first map is a big map called "Work From The Top". I have to do a lot of testing for this map, mostly because of the funnel that I wanted the map to revolve around. I at least went through 4 iterations of the map, and it was a pain to test because it took about 3 minutes for the map to compile. However, I did add a secret for those that are smart enough to figure it out. =D

The second map I created was "Three Cubes & Three Square Buttons". While I don't want to say much, I can guarantee that the chamber is completable. Have fun figuring out the solution! =D

EDIT: Also, difficulty ratings; I think "Work From The Top" deserves a 4/5 and I will let other people decide what "Three Cubes & Three Square Buttons" gets.

Work from the top:3: Normal- Experienced players will have no trouble with this after some thinking but new players may have a hard time, less than five steps. Sometimes may require map maker's assistance.Not sure about the 5 steps (depends on how you define a step) - if it's more obviously a 4.

3 Cubes and those buttons:that depends how the player is trying to solve it - could be a 3, 4 or 5.

Expect a full release of my last "Challenge" map called "A Spittle Momentum...". I am just fixing bugs and issues, cutting out unnecessary parts and adding in a new opening portion (the light bridge I already have isn't exactly hard at the moment...)

Lord_Ascendant:Expect a full release of my last "Challenge" map called "A Spittle Momentum...". I am just fixing bugs and issues, cutting out unnecessary parts and adding in a new opening portion (the light bridge I already have isn't exactly hard at the moment...)

Good to know! Will try the level out after you release it.

Also, I thought I should say that my level "Three Cubes & Three Square Buttons" has been changed. Basically I made the map a bit harder because I found an unwanted way for testers to complete the original.

Here is a guide for map makers that are having trouble figuring out "How do I make a good map?"

Here's some things to AVOID when making maps for Portal 2.

* Don't use too many buttons or require too much running between parts of the map without shortcuts or portalable surfaces.

* Use what the game itself already teaches. Don't expect players to know everything, pretend they are dumb and only know what the game tells them through the single player game.

* Test. Your. Maps. I can't stress this enough. If you can't get it to work, chances are other people will not be able to as well.

* If your map has turrets, give the player a way to avoid them or destroy them. Nobody likes the two second "avoid the turret" game unless you specifically want to make a difficult challenge.

* Make sure every part of your map can be seen and every mechanism understood at a glance, if someone has to noclip to figure out your mechanism then it isn't a good mechanism. Give a player a visible, tangible acknowledgement that pressing a button did something. Show, don't tell.

* Go the extra mile, make sure everything needed for a test is a little more that it needs to be. Make that drop needed to make a jump one block deeper than you think it needs to be. Make sure that the player makes it to where they want to go.

* Use lighting to point the way, if something isn't clear to a playtester use lighting to point them in the right direction.

* Give a player time to complete the map. Don't put unnecessarily short timers on things, forcing players to hurry. Hurrying means missing your map's full potential.

* Give a player multiple avenues for success. One solution to the test means searching for the exact way to beat a room, every player solves a challenge differently. Allow for that and you'll have a better map.

* Your players should not be lost as soon as they enter your room. Start them off with hints of how to solve the room. Lay out all your cards, then tell them to start solving the puzzle.

* Never use a solid flip panel to hide a button or a devise, use glass so players know that there is something they need below or behind it.

I hope these tips help players make better maps because I'm getting tired of grading maps and not being able to solve a test because of obvious flaws in design. It makes a map look sloppy or too much of an asspain. This isn't just about challenge, it's about fun as well.

Lord_Ascendant:Alright new rule. If I can't figure your map out, automatic 5. I just spent the last two hours completely lost in one of Deckard Cain's maps. Bro, I gotta say...you are the master of messing with my head. Also "Oh Uncle Deckaaaard!"

Now that is funny right there, thank you for that.

The way that map is layed out is that, you see all these different openings and its down to exploration to figure out what opens what. I think when you actually have activated certain things it will tell you in the main area, but the main part of it is exploration and random portal flailing until you find out which buttons open which doors to get everything active.

edit: I don't know how obvious it was, but one issue I had for awhile was lighting. I hope things were bright enough when you were going through it. It took me awhile to make sure that every "screw up" possible was recoverable unless you fell into the goo.